For Such A Time As This

Intro – This month we transition from Black History to Women’s Herstory Month. And this month we are really going deeply into our practice. We are returning to the story of Esther who has one of the most well known fasts in the scripture and one that has a lot of resonance for this time.

Exegesis

Story of Esther –

- King Ahaseures/ Xerxes is a hot mess, but he elevates Esther because of her beauty

- She ends up in a place of privilege, but has to keep her ethnic background on the DL

- Haman, Xerxes’ boy/ investor, hates the Jews. He gets Xerses to agree to genocide

- Mordechai tears clothes and sends message to Esther - You have to do something 

- She sends a message to everyone join me in fasting for 3 days!!! 

Lent Explanation –

- Comes from old English festivals of preparation for spring 

- Starts with Ash Wed a remembrance of our mortality and connection to the dirt

- 40 day period of fasting (diff counting methods) –Jesus’ also Moses

- Closes w/ Holy Week when Jesus has to go big or go down – he does both.

Time to Get Uncomfortable

- Marches towards Jesus’ sacrifice - Recognizing that friction and testing often produce growth —>  we accept the discomfort in order to embrace the growth.

- We need to grow and so Lent is about -

1.     Focusing Your Attention

2.     Hearing From God

3.     Preparing for Bold Action

Lent is about Focusing Your Attention on God – 

- You give up something you value and replace it with more focus on God - Lunchtime for prayer time. Social media scrolling for Biblical study. TV watching for silent meditation.

- If there is not spiritual shift then you are not really fasting in a spiritual way.

- Jesus or of Esther fast because they need the next level spiritually in fulfill their call

- What we are willing to risk?  = Position, Provision and Protection

- What must we embrace? = God’s presence, God’s Precepts and God’s Plan

Reflections Questions

1.     Are you ready to go big or are you trying to live a physically and spiritually comfortable life? How can you prepare yourself to release position, provision and protection?

2.     What are the things that are distracting you from your purpose, causing you to put other things before God or keeping you in your comfort zone? How are you using your fasting practice to allow your thirst for God’s plan to loom larger in your life?

3.     What area of action is God nudging you toward? Greater ministry? Changes at work? Leaning into some focused healing work? Social justice work? Where do you feel the Spirit nudging you and us?